Easter Island is known for its towering stone statues, or moai. Representing deified ancestors, they are 6 1/2 to 30 feet tall and weigh as much as 270 tons. These, at the Ahu Akivi site, are the only set located away from the ocean and the only ones faced toward the sea.

Easter Island is known for its towering stone statues, or moai. Representing deified ancestors, they are 6 1/2 to 30 feet tall and weigh as much as 270 tons. These, at the Ahu Akivi site, are the only set located away from the ocean and the only ones faced toward the sea. (Dan Falk)

Shimmering on the banks of the Yamuna River, the marble Taj Mahal is an architectural spectacle, its symmetry  four minarets and matching mosques on two sides  enhanced by its reflection on the water. Because worshipers must face east, only one of the mosques is functional; the other was...

Shimmering on the banks of the Yamuna River, the marble Taj Mahal is an architectural spectacle, its symmetry  four minarets and matching mosques on two sides  enhanced by its reflection on the water. Because worshipers must face east, only one of the mosques is functional; the other was... (Scott Kraft / Los Angeles Times)

Building on the success of “Doomsday Preppers,” the network is doubling down on the apocalyptic with a new reality series called “Doomsday Castle.” It follows “Brent Sr.” (no last name was provided), a North Carolina survivalist realizing his dream of building a medieval-style fortress to protect his family from what he believes are the coming "end days."

He was joined on stage at the Beverly Hilton by his brood of strapping children who also appear, however reluctantly, in the series. “It is my bibilical obligation to God to protect my family,” said Brent Sr., whose fortress is on a 15-acre plot in an undisclosed corner of the North Carolina mountains and who fears hostile overthrow by foreign countries, solar flares and electromagnetic pulses.

Speaking of terrifying scenarios, Nat Geo also teased an upcoming special event called “American Blackout,” a fictional dramatization of what might happen following a catastrophic power failure.

“It seems not a week goes by without threat of cyberattack,” network President Howard Owens helpfully reminded the crowd.

And if that weren't enough to scare the daylights out of you, there was also a planned live broadcast of free climber Alex Honnold’s ascent of an as-yet-undisclosed skyscraper. For a taste of what that might look like, watch this gut-churning “60 Minutes” report on the climbing prodigy – if you have the stomach for it.

Thankfully, sister network Nat Geo Wild has plenty of adorable critters to balance out all the scary stuff. A new series called “The Secret Life of Dogs” will take a look at man’s best friend from a scientific point of view. Another animal-related offering is “Jobs That Bite” – think of it as “Dirty Jobs” with animals — hosted by the hunky Jeremy Brandt, who appeared on stage clutching a 5-month-old piglet and ended the presentation by summoning a hawk with his outstretched hand.

"Futurama," the science fiction cartoon, is in the midst of its (putative) last season. (The latest episode, "Calculon's Immortal Soul," airs Wednesday on Comedy Central.) On Saturday it convened what will probably not be its final public panel at Comic-Con, San Diego's world-famous...

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said Tuesday that he wants legislation on his desk by the end of the week to clarify that the state's new religious-freedom law does not allow discrimination against gays and lesbians.

Indonesian prosecutors on Tuesday sought jail sentences of 18 years for an American man and 15 years for his girlfriend if they are found guilty in the slaying of the woman's mother while vacationing on the resort island of Bali last year.